Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-02-03
A YOUNG HERO.

History of the Work of Hiram Dudley Buck
in the Saving of Human Lives.
In the long and honorable roll Of
those who have saved the lives OF
others at the imminent risk of their
own. it is doubtful if you will find an
other record to match that of young
Hiram Dudley Buck. There are men
whose occupations give them peculiar
opportunities for imperiling their own
lives for those of their fellow men; and
there are women too-for who can for
get the noble work of the English
Grace Darling and her American coun-
terpart, Ida Lewis?-whose names have
been added to the roll of honor while
they have been yet young; but seldom.
if ever, has it been given to a lad to
save four persons from death by drown
ing, before completing his sixteenth
year, as has been the case with the sub
| ject of this sketch. .....-..
Hiram Dudley Buck was born at
Crown Point, Essex County, New York,
| in 1868. It was when he was only ten
years old that he was called upon to
| perform the first of the brave deeds
| which are to be recorded here. His
sister Effie, a girl few years older
than himself, was bathing in Putnam's
| creek, near their home in Essex County,
in company with some friends. In
order to keep af1oat in deep water she
had fastened rubber life-preserver
| under her arms, and this treacherous aid
slipped from its place, and, becoming
entangled with her feet. threw her
head under water. Dudley, the ten
yearold boy, was attracted from dis
lance by the frantic cries of his sisters
playmates, and running up, he plunged
into the deep water, and despite the
drowning girls greater size and weight,
succeeded in bringing her ashore.
The following summer Dudley and a
number of young friends were fishing
off high dam at Crown Point Centre.
A careless action on the part of one of
the boys threw Freddie B into the
seething waters below the dam; and
though there were perhaps dozen boys
present, only one of them had the cour-
age to leap in to Freddie's assistance.
AS soon as he realized his friends peril
for he knew that the boy could not
swim-Dudley unhesitatingly sprang
into the water, caught the struggling
boy as he rose to the surface, and at
length brought him ashore, though not
until his strength was almost ex-
hausted.
In August, 1884, a party of young
people were bathing in Schroon Lake.
among whom were Sam and Kate
rand Dudley Buck. Sam could swim
little, but his sister was more daring
than prudent. and declaring that she
could go where her brother went, she
followed him into deep water. In a
few moments she was in distress, and
clutching Sam, who had turned to as
sist her, she dragged him down with
her. Dudley was resting on the bank,
but as soon as he saw the peril his
friends were in be dived after them, |
and found them actually at the bottom |
of the lake. With great difficulty he |
disengaged the girls arms from her |
brothers neck, and brought the two
to the surface. Hates instinct of |
self-preservation, which but for |
Dudley had drowned both her brother
and herself, now endangered the life of
their gallant rescuer and it was only |
with extreme difficulty that Dudley |
could control her sufficiently to bring
himself and her safely into shallow
water.
Such acts of gallantry as have been
here recited, all performed by a lad UNI
der sixteen years of age, are worthy of !
whatever public recognition it is in the
power of grateful government to
bestow. 1t is pleasant, therefore, to be
able to record the fact that the Con-
gress of the United States of America
has awarded to young Dudley
Buck its silver life-saving medal.
The silver medal which Dudley thus re-
eeived is the highest honor that the
Government can bestow, the gold
medal provided for under the acts of
Congress being awarded only for saw
ing life in saltwater. The medal
awarded is of sterling silver, and about
twice the size of a silver dollar. Hiram
Dudley Buck wears, another medal
which he must value highly. It is II
fve-pointed star surrounded by a
wreath, all in solid gold, and bears this !
ton: 'Life-saving medal pre-
sented to Hiram Dudley Buck for
heroism in rescuing from drowning
Effie-Fred- Sam-Kate."
It was presented to him by the four
friends who owe their lives to his
courage, heroism, and humanity.
The other medals on his breast are for
in athletic sports, ono of
them, quite naturally, foz swimming
Harper's Young People.